The first season of the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory aired on CBS from September 24, 2007 to May 19, 2008. The Season 1 DVD came without a gag reel and is, so far, the only Big Bang Theory DVD set not to have one. The reissued Blu-ray, which was released on July 10, 2012, includes a gag reel that is exclusive to the set. The episodes on Blu-ray are all in remastered surround sound, whereas the DVD version had stereo. Two of the main characters, Sheldon and Leonard, are named after actor, director, and producer Sheldon Leonard. Johnny Galecki and Sara Gilbert both selected the episode "The Hamburger Postulate" as a Primetime Emmy Award submission for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, respectively, at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, but both ended up not receiving a nomination. Jim Parsons selected the episode "The Pancake Batter Anomaly" as a Primetime Emmy Award submission for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, but he ended up not receiving a nomination. Cast Main cast Johnny Galecki as Dr. Leonard Hofstadter Jim Parsons as Dr. Sheldon Cooper Kaley Cuoco as Penny Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz Kunal Nayyar as Dr. Rajesh "Raj" Koothrappali Recurring cast Brian Patrick Wade as Kurt Vernee Watson as Althea Sara Gilbert as Leslie Winkle Laurie Metcalf as Mary Cooper Mark Harelik as Dr. Eric Gablehauser Carol Ann Susi as Mrs. Wolowitz Brian George as Dr. V.M. Koothrappali Alice Amter as Mrs. Koothrappali Guest cast Brooke D'Orsay as Christy James Hong as Chen Sarayu Rao as Lalita Gupta DJ Qualls as Toby Loobenfeld Austin Lee as Dennis Kim Andrew Walker as Mike Courtney Henggeler as Missy Cooper Production The series' initial pilot, which was developed for the 2006–07 television season, was substantially different from its current form. From the later series, only Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons were in the cast, and their across-the-hall neighbor Katie was envisioned as "a street-hardened, tough-as-nails woman with a vulnerable interior". Katie was played by actress Amanda Walsh. They also had a female friend called Gilda, who was played by Iris Bahr. The series' original theme music was also different, using Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me with Science". The series was not picked up, but the creators were given an opportunity to revise it, bringing in